Iowa State Fair Speedway officials said they were surprised to learn Wednesday that racing will no longer take place on the fairgrounds.

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Speedway officials said Iowa State Fair CEO Gary Slater told the race promoters in a private meeting that racing would be discontinued for the foreseeable future.

Marketing Director Mindy Williamson said racing would be on a hiatus for two to three years before construction of a new 3/8-mile track can begin west of the current track location.

“We've had a longstanding tradition of racing here at the state fair, and our plans are to bring that back," State Fait spokeswoman Mindy Williamson said.

Those plans include building a smaller track just west of the existing track in 2019. The smaller track would be part of a motorsports area for not only races but events like tractor pulls and rodeos.

"They have no interest in this racetrack,” speedway promoter Tony Moro said. “We know that. They've proved that over the years."

Moro said he was blindsided by the news that would shutter a race series that features over 20 races a summer.

“You can't shut a business down one day and reopen it five years later and expect it to be the same,” Moro said. “It's not going to happen."

The state fair speedway has some well-known racers, supporters and investors including Karl Moyer, the owner of Karl's Chevrolet in Ankeny.

“We've got plenty of people who will stand up and say, ‘Show me what we're doing wrong, what we can do better,’ -- and they can't,” Moyer said.

Moro said he was told by State Fair CEO Gary Slater about the plan to build a new track this month.

“In the meeting, he said it could be three years, five years, maybe never if we don't have the funding," Moyer said. “I'd say if racing is done at the State Fair, Gary Slater should be done at the State Fair."

"I would say it's a short pause,” Williamson said. “And to a race fan, a pause of two to three years seems like a really long time, but hold with us and be with us and supportive because we're trying to make this venue even better for them."

Williamson said the midway expansion next year is funded, but they are still working on funding for the other improvements including that new racetrack.

“It is with great disappointment that the promoters of the Iowa State Fair Speedway (ISFS) announced today the discontinuation of racing at the speedway for the foreseeable future. The surprising news was delivered recently by Gary Slater, CEO of the Iowa State Fair in a private meeting. The Iowa State Fair Speedway has been an important part of the Midwest racing roots and Des Moines for decades.

"The decision came as a shock not only to the race promoters but racers and fans alike certainly in light of the announcement made by Gary Slater at the ISFS Awards Banquet last fall where he made a public promise that “there would be racing at ISFS for many years to come”. As described in the private meeting, there are no plans currently in place to rebuild the track and there is no expectation that racing will become a part of the Fairgrounds in the future.

“This came as a total shock and huge disappointment, given our multi-year contract,” Tony Moro, promoter of the ISFS said. “My partners, Eric Lundstrom and John Pat Dorrian and I have made a significant personal investment of time and money to make the Iowa State Fair Speedway a competitive, entertaining and family friendly venue for all. We want to thank everyone for your support and participation and we are sorry we won’t have the opportunity to continue in this historic venue.”

The Iowa State Fair Speedway website (isfspeedway.com) will continue to be active and available for information and updates.”